March Dinner Party

I know, it’s April and I am telling you about the March party, but I ran out of time last month. Our dinner party in March was (of course) delicious. We had friends and family over to celebrate Andrew's and my birthdays. As always, the recipes came from The New Southwest Cookbook.

Appetizer- Habanero Sea Scallops with Southwest Slaw (from Coyote Grill in Scottsdale, AZ- p.61)



Yum, yum, yum! A seared scallop served with a cabbage and red bell pepper slaw with a light vinaigrette dressing. It was also served with a habanero pepper/ pepper jack cheese/ cream sauce. Again, yum!

Soup- Red Bell Pepper Soup (from Christopher’s Fermier Brasserie in Phoenix, AZ- p. 88)



This was a pretty simple and very good soup. The other soups I have made from the cookbook had more “wow”, but this is a good basic soup. Red peppers, onions, leeks, carrots, and potatoes all sautéed until soft then pureed. Add cream and spices, and you have a good, silky smooth soup.

Entree- Chile-Cinnamon Rubbed Beef Medallions (from Inn of the Anasazi in Santa Fe, NM- p.140)
Side- White Cheddar Chipotle Mashed Potatoes (from Inn of the Anasazi in Santa Fe, NM- p. 199)
Side- Navajo Eggplant with Charred Tomatillo Sauce (from Zion Lodge in Springdale, UT- p. 181)



How can you ever go wrong with beef filet? These were marinated in a dry rub and then grilled. The gravy that went with it was truly a labor of love, as most good gravies are. I simmered 15 ingredients, strained all solids out and then thickened it. Fabulous... Happy sigh...

I love mashed potatoes. They never get front billing- you can’t really even see them in the picture- but they are the kind of comfort food that makes my soul happy. And these were jazzed up with roasted garlic, sharp white cheddar cheese, cream cheese and chipotle chilies. They were perfect with the steak.

Now the eggplant was a very involved recipe. It was actually in the main dishes section to appease non-meat-eaters. I just used very skinny Japanese eggplants instead of regular wide ones to make a dainty side dish. I coated them in flour, egg wash and panko breadcrumbs, and then pan fried them. I then stacked them with a charred tomatillo cream sauce and some cheese and baked it to warm through. The tomatillos gave a fresh, twangy taste to the cream. Oh, and they were topped with homemade Pico de Gallo. Very interesting and very good.

Dessert- Texas Millionaire Pie (from The Daily Pie Café in Pie Town, NM- p. 217)



This pie was a combination of some of my least favorite things-coconut, pineapple, and nuts- mixed with some really delicious things- cream cheese and cool whip- and put in a delicious homemade chocolate graham cracker crust. People really liked it. Me, not so much. But it's not always about me!